ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

History of the petroleum industry in Canada

Alright kiddo, let me tell you a story about the history of the petroleum industry in Canada.

Once upon a time, many many years ago, people discovered a black sticky thing called oil deep inside the earth. This oil was very useful as it could be used to create things like gasoline, diesel fuel, and plastic.

In Canada, the story of oil began in the 1850s when people found oil oozing out of the ground in Ontario. However, it wasn’t until the 1940s that Canada became a major player in the petroleum industry. At this time, Alberta's oil sands were discovered and began to be developed.

Alberta's oil sands are made up of sand, clay, water, and oil. This oil is called bitumen and it is really thick and sticky, like peanut butter. To turn this bitumen into a usable form of oil, companies use a process called mining or drilling. Mining involves digging up the bitumen from the ground and drilling involves pumping hot steam into the ground to make the bitumen flow like liquid.

As more and more oil was discovered in Canada, the country became a big supplier of oil to other countries like the United States. However, the industry has faced many challenges over the years. One of the biggest was when oil prices dropped dramatically in the 1980s, which caused many companies to go out of business.

Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the environmental impact of the petroleum industry due to the production of greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Many people are now focusing on trying to find alternative sources of energy that are cleaner and have less impact on the environment.

And that, my young friend, is the story of the petroleum industry in Canada!